Rubber Ducks
by Serendipithy
Summary: They had informally introduced themselves the first time— in the changing room. RyoSaku. Part of the Change!Anthology.


**Title: **rubber ducks

**Author: **Alice the 19th

**Summary:** They had informally introduced themselves the first time— in the changing room. RyoSaku. Change!Anthology.

**Word Count:** 1,242

**Rated: T** for the occasional use of language. XD

**A/N: **First (though the order doesn't matter) part of the "change" anthology that I thought of— attempting to use the word "change" in context in different ways. The anthology itself will be no more than five different un-related oneshots.

**Disclaimer** has made this disclaimed. Hopefully, however, the plot will _stay_ mine and mine only. c:

* * *

They were entering middle school so, as girls, it was no surprise when Tomoka practically demanded Sakuno to go on a shopping trip with her on a Saturday over the phone. After quick conversations with their respective guardians, both girls headed out to meet up at the mall.

However, once both girls met up, Sakuno was surprised to discover that today's shopping trip was no ordinary one. They weren't shopping for fashion accessories, jewelry, _or_ shoes.

They were shopping for sporting goods.

After voicing her surprise, Sakuno listened as Tomoka explained how _lots_ of hot middle school guys "love it when the girls they like do sports." As Tomoka continued to explain in a voice that she always used to make herself sound like she was more intelligent, "girls that do sports end up going on the same overnight trips with the guys."

Wisely, Sakuno chose not to point out that said boys were most likely shallow, and therefore were not worth both her or her friend's time and effort. Instead, Sakuno followed Tomoka's lead and headed towards their destination: the quaint yet popular local sporting goods store situated near the center of the mall.

Upon entering, the girls inhaled the scent that was the brand new balls. Basketballs, baseballs, volleyballs, tennis balls, and soccer balls were lined neatly along the aisles. Tomoka, rather than head towards the sports equipment, headed towards the sports clothing section.

_So maybe we are buying clothes after all_, Sakuno thought. Maybe Tomoka hadn't been _completely_ out of her mind.

xxx

* * *

xxx

His dumbass father was _so_ going down today, Ryoma decided, after he finished trying on the piles of new tennis clothes his father had dumped on him.

He should've been suspicious the moment his father declared that they were going to spend some 'quality time together.'

_Quality time my ass_, Ryoma thought. It was more torture than not. His father knew he hated shopping— even if it was tennis clothes shopping— and would go to no end attempting to act like the Spartan father he was.

After trying on the seventh (or was it eighth?) tennis outfit his father had suggested, Ryoma wanted to throw his hands up in frustration; nevertheless, he refrained from acting in such a childish manner.

As he reached out to grab his white shorts, his eyes came into contact with a very shocked face.

xxx

* * *

xxx

Sakuno vehemently protested (or as vehemently as one such as Sakuno could) against trying on a matching tennis outfit. Even if it did look cute, the clothes would certainly be unwelcome in the face of her frugal grandmother. Her grandmother had always advised her to only buy clothes that were _cheap_ and _necessary_.

Staring at the price tag once again, Sakuno sighed. The outfit was neither cheap nor necessary as she was probably never going to wear the one hundred dollar outfit unless Tomoka managed to trick her. Though Tomoka was without a doubt sneaky at times, Sakuno knew her grandmother would never approve of its "necessity."

Reluctantly Sakuno headed for the fitting room at the back of the quaint shop.

_It seems like this store doesn't have separate fitting rooms for guys and girls_, Sakuno thought. _Joy._

The store _did_ have separate fitting rooms; but as luck would have it, part of the shop was undergoing construction due to some "leak" in one of the water pipes where the girl's fitting room was located.

Heaving another sigh, Sakuno entered the fitting room in resignation to get it all over with. Tomoka would most likely end up leaving with a huff later without buying anything anyway (like she normally did).

Her friend's skewed sense of price had been met with stubborn resistance from one of the women workers. The two were currently having an animated conversation with one another near the check out area. The looks the two clashing women were giving to each other told Sakuno that her friend was bound to get kicked out soon after she finished trying on the expensive outfit.

Heading down the aisle in an attempt to find an empty changing room, Sakuno spotted one that was left ajar. Cautiously, Sakuno opened the door completely.

xxx

* * *

xxx

_I spoke too soon it seems_, Ryoma thought dryly, somewhat embarrassed by the current situation.

He was currently halfway between getting his pants on and being in his briefs _with a girl currently staring at him in utter shock_.

xxx

* * *

xxx

To say that the whole situation was embarrassing would've been a complete understatement. If she had been embarrassed for Tomoka for acting so rowdy in a popular sports store, it was nothing compared to how she felt now.

_Of all doors to open, I just _had_ to open the one with some good-looking boy around my age. Why couldn't it have been a woman?_ Sakuno thought.

She was repeating to herself that things could be much wo— were those rubber ducky briefs? They looked kind of small on him too…

After staring for a few seconds, Sakuno realized that there was a pair of eyes boring into her head. It didn't take much to figure out who was staring down at her.

It was at that moment that she could feel her whole face turning red as she muttered a quiet 'sorry', shut the door hastily, and nearly sprinted out of the fitting rooms. By now, Tomoka was being pushed out by the sole security officer in the store. Dropping the tennis outfit outside the fitting room in the appropriate box, Sakuno managed to drag Tomoka outside the store after repeatedly bowing and saying sorry over and over to the store owner and the security officer.

As she calmed down after passing a few more shops, Tomoka asked Sakuno why her face was still an unusual shade of pink.

Sakuno didn't reply, only quickening her step to avoid showing Tomoka the blush threatening to appear once again.

xxx

* * *

xxx

They met again on the first day of school.

"So, is anyone here new to the community? If so, stand up so that you may introduce yourselves first," the teacher said.

Standing up, Ryoma could hear the whispers going through the classroom. It wasn't every day someone with blue-green hair and cat-like eyes moved to the Seigaku community.

A quiet giggle from behind him, though, caught his attention. Turning slightly to his right he saw a girl with familiar long braids and shy face he recalled seeing in his little fitting room 'incident.' She was sitting on his right in the row behind him. Upon making eye contact with Ryoma, the girl quieted down, breaking eye contact. Turning back around, he faced the faced the majority of the students in front of him.

"My name is Echizen Ryoma."

As the class went around and introduced themselves, it soon came to be Sakuno's turn to introduce herself. Standing up, she cleared her throat.

"My name is Ryuzaki Sakuno."

Ryoma just stared at her; she caught him looking at her. As Sakuno blushed slightly while sitting back down, Ryoma couldn't help but smirk at her expression. Her innocence was truly amusing.

Maybe he could get her to show her blushing face more often this year. It would give him something to do besides sleep during class. Ryoma decided he would do just that.

Sakuno, on the other hand, could only hope she could get closer to the increasingly popular and ogled-at boy whom she had already seen in his… _rubber ducky_ briefs.

* * *

**/end.**

* * *

This might not be a oneshot. I _mightmightmight_ motivate myself to do a continuation, though I have no idea where I would get the idea for another oneshot that could go along with this one. As always, it just depends on whether or not there's something I can relate to in the sequel.

Your **reviews** on the other hand, could **give me ideas**. (:


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